NASA believes its discovered why a chunk of Martian rock mysteriously vanished.
Perseverance used its seven-foot-long robotic arm to bore into the Martian surface and grab the rock.
Data confirmed the drill had reached the proper depth.
Telemetry and photos confirmed the sample tube had been sealed and placed in storage.
There was only one problem: the container was empty.
40% off TNW Conference!
Had the robotic arm malfunctioned?
Did an irate Martian intervene in the attempted theft of its land?
Not according to NASA.
Thespaceagency is blaming the failure on the rock.
Scientists came to this conclusion after analyzing photos and depth measurements of the borehole.
The data showed that the rovers drill had ground the fragile core into powder and small fragments.
The fiasco has led NASA to search for stronger rocks in South Seitah, another area ofMarsJezero Crater.
Perseverance is expected to make its second sampling attempt in early September.
Story byThomas Macaulay
Thomas is the managing editor of TNW.
He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers.
Away from work, he e(show all)Thomas is the managing editor of TNW.
He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers.
Away from work, he enjoys playing chess (badly) and the guitar (even worse).
